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The controversy erupted on Sunday when Angelababy appeared in a custom dress by van der Kemp while selling shoes priced at around 400–500 yuan (US$60–70) on a livestream, local outlet Theirs reported.

Van der Kemp said his brand, RVDK, had never given permission for its designs to be used to advertise what he called “cheap shoes.”

On Monday evening, RVDK’s China representative said the dress had been shipped from the Netherlands and loaned to Angelababy.

The brand noted that it is usually very selective about lending garments and only makes exceptions in a small number of commercial cases, adding that it agreed to the loan because of past collaborations with the actress and its trust in the actress.

Angelababy in the haute couture dress by Dutch fashion designer Ronald van der Kemp. Photo from Instagram/@angelababy.weibo

Angelababy later said the disagreement arose from cultural differences between China and Western countries. Van der Kemp explained that although he knew she would wear the dress during the livestream, he had assumed it would be for a fan event rather than a sales broadcast.

After Angelababy’s team clarified how livestream commerce works in China, he said he understood the situation and apologized for the misunderstanding.

He subsequently released a video message expressing his support for Angelababy and praising her as one of the most beautiful celebrities.

Born Yang Ying, Angelababy began her career as a model before moving into film. While her acting has drawn criticism, she remains highly sought after for endorsements and serves as a brand ambassador for numerous companies.

She was previously married to actor Huang Xiaoming; the couple divorced in 2022 and have an eight-year-old son.